Here are 18 visual merchandising tips to get you started to more effectively sell your products.

1. Create a calendar for front window design themes. Remember, you are merchandising a luxury product so pick your theme to convey an enhanced image and select product that will create foot traffic
2. Carpet- When was the last time the carpet was cleaned and is it time to replace it? Verify that that your store does not have a musty odor to it.
3. Replace worn counter pads used to demonstrate jewelry. Review any sales tool used to sell as each one can create a brand image impression with your customers and have an effect on the perceived value of your products.
4. Take a look at the total capabilities of your automated inventory management system and consider enhancing your skills and ability to use more of the system’s features.  For example, if you are not using a scanner or computer printed price labels . . . plan to start doing so. A scanner can save you so much time and enable you to take physical inventory more often. Preprinted price labels have proven to reduce price haggling by customers.
5. With a very keen eye examine all show case fixtures and create a plan to purge all those that are showing wear.
6. Go green. Review the use of halogen lighting and incandescent lighting and consider where LED lighting might be an acceptable substitute.
7. Get rid of your dog pound. You know that one showcase that has a collection of all the aged and non-sellable products you have. Think of color and shape and material use to find ways to blend this merchandise throughout your inventory displays.  This will enhance the perceived value of the merchandise.
8. Get rid of collateral materials that are now cluttering up the top of your show cases.  Purchase a display unit that can store materials for sales associates to find and present to customers. Buy into this notion  . . . unsolicitated advice is seldom valued. That is why you should only offer collateral material when the product becomes relevant to your conversation with a customer. Otherwise, you are just contributing to the demise of a forest somewhere.
9. Make a commitment to not allow newly arrived merchandise to sit in the backroom longer than 48 hours before it is priced and put into a showroom display case.  Too many jewelers take several days to weeks to get around to pricing and displaying newly arriving merchandise.
10. Develop a buying plan that maximizes the salability of your current inventory without drowning your display cases with too much merchandise. Putting too much product in a case makes it too difficult to see individual pieces. It just makes for a massive blob of sparkle with little relevance for a shoppers discerning eye.
11. Start to redesign your approach to your show cases. In-store marketing can be some of the most effective marketing dollars you can spend. Why? Because studies show in-store marketing has a direct impact on buyer behaviors. Improve your visual merchandising and improve your sales!
12. Paint a couple walls with spring colors to get shoppers in a more upbeat mood.
13. Update, replace or begin in-store marketing using back lit graphics.
14. Review the physical appearance of your staff. Do they convey the right message to your customers? Take a critical look at the jewelry they wear while working.  Remember, your employees are walking/talking billboards for your company, brand and products.
15. Revisit your policy of encouraging or allowing employees to wear your jewelry while working in the store.
16. Buy or create shelf talkers that remind customers of upcoming occasions to encourage more sales.
17. Add some color to your display cases. If all you see is a sea of white fixtures with a bit of sparkle your visual merchandising needs help. Add a bit of colored fabric or other material to your display cases to create some visual punch and let your showcases pop with excitement.
18. Circle your calendar now to attend my seminar on how to improve your visual merchandising at the JCK show May 28, 2009 at 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm at the Sands Expo Convention Center.

I want to hear from you. Please post a comment and let us know what tips you are going to implement. Or feel free to offer some additions to the list. What else should visual merchandisers be concerned with right now?

JCK